Thursday, November 14, 2013

Fascinating Candidate Emerges To Face Hayashi, Wieckowski For State Senate

Roman Reed, a Fremont planning

commissioner, is eyeing a run at

State Senate next year.

STATE SENATE | 10th DISTRICT | During a college football game in late 1994, Roman Reed laid prone on the gridiron at Chabot College after delivering a hit. The accident rendered him paralyzed, yet nearly two decades later, his inspiring story of perseverance just may shake up what many believed was two-horse race for the State Senate’s 10th District race next year featuring Mary Hayashi and Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski.

Reed, a Democrat, who served as a Fremont planning commissioner since 2010, told EBC he is strongly considering a run next year for the seat that stretches from Castro Valley and San Lorenzo to portions of San Jose and Santa Clara. Although, Reed was rumored to be contemplating a run for the State Legislature, which office he would seek was unclear. Campaign finance accounts, in fact, were opened by Reed for both the State Senate and Assembly.

A race initially viewed as a matchup between Wieckowski’s good-natured aloofness and Hayashi’s bare-knuckled, yet tarnished reputation, suddenly has an unexpected human interest story without precedent in the entire Bay Area. In a Facebook message Thursday, Reed said he is not ready to officially announce his candidacy, but added, “We must win. Lives actually do depend on our success.”

His choice of facing two well-financed Democrats like Hayashi, who sits on over $732,000 in campaign contributions, and Wieckowski, with over $76,000 and growing, is bold move and filled with troves of interesting angles. Hayashi is still stinging from a clear rebuke by voters last year in her race for Alameda County supervisor that followed her embarrassing shoplifting charge in 2011. In addition, while Wieckowski will likely pull precious union support and contributions away from Hayashi, his two terms in the Assembly are relatively uneventful. There is also a view in Fremont that he had lost control of his staff over the past year and, in turn, alienated some supporters in the area’s growing South Asian communities.

Reed’s candidacy could be viewed as an affront to Wieckowski, too. Just this year, a bill sponsored by Wieckowski to designate $1 million to fund the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research program at the University of California sailed through the Legislature. However, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the bill last October saying the UC is better suited to fund these types of research projects. In 2011, Wieckowski was also unsuccessful in funding the program with a bill that would have tacked $3 to all traffic tickets for spinal cord injury research.

106 comments:

Hope Roman changes his mind and stays with his run for assembly. Bob's a good man who has done good work and deserves this seat. On the other hand, I think Roman could be one of several good candidates for the D25 assembly seat.

Hayashi, still with 14 more months to serve on probation, after a plea deal. So fresh, how can we forget her arrest for felony grand theft shoplifting?

A theft that, to this day, she has not taken responsibility for.

She still has never admitted intent. Said and continues with the myth that it was just a "absent minded" error.That she lost track of her shopping, being busy on her cell phone.Omitting that she brought with her a "extra" hidden Neiman Marcus shopping bag. The very bag she used to stash the stolen goods.

While I am unfamiliar with Roman Reed and Bob Wieckowski, however anybody who would even slightly consider voting for Mary Hayashi for anything, and including even for a position as low ranking as dogcatcher, should be sent straight to a home for the severely mentally retarded.

More specifically, if it should become a three person race between Hayashi, Reed, and Wieckowski, and if eventually I became convinced that both Reed and Wieckowski were extremely horrible people, then I would simply refuse to vote rather than voting for Hayashi.

In fact considering what we have already seen as far as Hayashi's "honesty" and "standards," I would think it very likely any government position she had she would use as an opportunity to engage in embezzlement and/or arranging illegal backroom fixes in exchange for under the table bribes.

Hey Reed, have you noticed that Hayashi and Wieckowski both supported the realignment of corrections, child protection and adult protection from the state's responsibility and placed this responsibility on the local counties? A move that most professionals who work with these populations consider very dangerous to the lives of families, children, and our elderly. Have you heard of the nursing facility in Castro Valley that is now being investigated for serious neglect of the elderly residents living there. I am sure that Hayashi, Wieckowsky, and Corbett are very much aware that the Ombudsman and Adult Protective Services functions have been seriously underfunded for the last 15 years yet Corbett now wants to address the problems with nursing facility neglect. If you want to make a difference Mr. Reed start looking into the problems created by the so called realignment and the general neglect of children and adult protective services. Because, Hayashi, Wieckowski, and Corbett have done nothing significant to prevent the damage being done.

Good luck to Mr. Reed. I've researched him a bit, and he seems extremely intelligent, energetic, and motivated to do great things. He has risen above a personal tragedy with dignity and success. I suspect that he won't stop at the senate level and he will go on to do even bigger and better things for our state. God knows, we need it!

Good luck to Mr. Reed. I've researched him a bit, and he seems extremely intelligent, energetic, and motivated to do great things. He has risen above a personal tragedy with dignity and success. I suspect that he won't stop at the senate level and he will go on to do even bigger and better things for our state. God knows, we need it!

Roman may be a nice guy, but anyone who understands even a little about politics knows he has 2 chances---slim and none. I would call anon 7:59 an idiot, but anyone can see that from his blogs. He's like a broken record and so boring and sexist. LMAO

Good luck to Mr. Reed. I've researched him a bit, and he seems extremely intelligent, energetic, and motivated to do great things. He has risen above a personal tragedy with dignity and success. I suspect that he won't stop at the senate level and he will go on to do even bigger and better things for our state. God knows, we need it!

Just a hunch, but I think, as was the case in the Supervisors race, that Mary is still tainted goods for most voters.

People forgive and forget, but Mary is still serving her 3 years of probation.Do citizens really want a state senator who is already on probation.

A candidate who was arrested and charged with felony grand theft. Who only got the charge reduced to a misdemeanor in a plea bargain.A criminal who has yet to fully admit to her part (intent) in stealing the merchandise.

To this day, she has only described the crime as ---

"The simple fact is I unintentionally walked out of a store with items I had not paid for. Of course, I intended to purchase what I had, but I didn’t.“

"There were a number of personal factors that led to the situation where I made this absentminded error."

"My medical condition may have complicated the situation.I want to assure you that I am taking steps to deal with my health"

So you see, Mary Hayashi has never told the people, the voters, that her crime was anything other than a simple mistake that ANYONE might make.

Sure, the voters believe that Mary. They know you never intended to steal the $2450 worth of merchandise.Some how it just ended up in the "extra" Neiman Marcus bag you brought with you from Hayward to San Francisco.

Note- Mary Hayashi has never discussed why she carried a hidden Neiman Marcus shopping bag with her (from home) into the dressing room at the store. The same bag she used to hide the goods she was arrested for stealing.

"absentminded""unintentionally"

Sure Mary, sure... all just a big mistake.Except that the plea deal you took, according to the law, admits "intent'...

Yet Mary still won't admit that in public.Not in interviews with the Tribune, not in public appearances.She expects her excuses to fool 50.1% of the people.

I don't think so, not even with $750,000 and union support.You can't buy a excuse.

Roman may be a nice guy, but anyone who understands even a little about politics knows he has 2 chances---slim and none. I would call anon 11:48 and 11:49 (the same person) an idiot, but anyone can see that from his blogs. He's like a broken record and so boring and sexist. LMAO

Let's get real here. Anyone who thinks Roman has a snowballs chance in hell is living in a fantasy world. The odds of Bob Weickowski winning State Senator over a newbie who has never run for office before, is about 10,000-1. What a joke.

Roman may be a nice guy, but anyone who understands even a little about politics knows he has 2 chances---slim and none. I would call anon 7:41 an idiot, but anyone can see that from his blogs. He's like a broken record and so boring and sexist. LMAO

Roman Reed is the hardest working man I have ever met. He will be a powerhouse and do everything he can for THE people. He has made a huge difference in the research field for research and raised millions of dollars. He is YOUR MAN!!!!!!

Let's get real here. Anyone who thinks Roman has a snowballs chance in hell is living in a fantasy world. The odds of Bob Weickowski winning State Senator over a newbie who has never run for office before, is about 10,000-1. What a joke.

After reading the comments above it is obvious why our state is in the shape it is. Mr. Reed may have never run for office but all these politicians have had their "first time" as well. So never under estimate the under dog because in fact Roman Reed is a fighter doctors told him he would never have use of his hand or ever have children and he rose to the challenge and proved those doctors wrong. This challenge with be no different. He always gives 110% and that's the type of person we need to start turning this state around. ~Grace S. -Roman Reed Supporter

Hope Roman changes his mind and stays with his run for assembly. Bob's a good man who has done good work and deserves this seat. On the other hand, I think Roman could be one of several good candidates for the D25 assembly seat.

Roman Reed will be an excellent State Senator. His ethics are beyond question, he is very bright, insightful, as good a listener as he is a speaker, and he is a fighter. He will not go with the flow but instead work hard and inspire others to join him in making the changes needed to make California the greatest state in the country again.

I agree with the above post. When was the last time someone who has never been elected to any position, ran for State Senate and was elected? I've lived in this area for many years, and it's never happened since I've been here. Plus, Bob Weickowski is extremely popular in this area ( except by the extreme right-wingers). Since he is the sitting Assemblyman, he is really a shoo-in for Senator.

John Dutra lost to 2 People who had been elected to the Assembly before. They were Ellen Corbett and Johan Klehs both far more progressive. Roman has never been elected to anything. I hope you can read better than you understand politics 101. Oh yeah!

If memory serves, Ellen Corbett was the incumbent assemblywoman at that time. That certainly could be a reason she won. However, not to be lost in the explanation is the fact that Dutra spent the most and still ended up coming in third. Wiecowski is the incumbent and will have a lot to spend, but I do believe he will end up splitting the vote with Hayashi, who also has plenty of money. In that respect if it is field of three Mr. Reed would stand to become the beneficiary and possible winner of the election. They could very well cancel each other out. Stranger things have happened.

The only dumb ass is you 8:46 and 8:47. Take your Tea Party extremism and sexist antiunion stupidity and stick it. You don't come out of nowhere and win a Senate seat if you haven't been elected before. It would take hundreds of thousands of dollars. Politics 101---oh yeah!

Anyone who understands politics in this area knows that you don't get elected to State Senator in the Bay Area without ever being elected to an office before. Name me one time in the last couple of decades. What a political moron the above poster is.

Roman may be a good guy, but there is no way he can raise the money necessary to fund a viable campaign, much less two. We have the top two primary in California which we didn't have in the Corbett, Klehs and Dutra era. He might have a chance in the Assembly race if he could raise about 200,000 dollars for the primary and the General, which I doubt.

The Senate race will be won by Bob Weickowski and it won't be close because of Mary's arrest record.

Hey I like Roman, but I won't vote for him over Bob Weickowski who I like even more, and I live in Fremont. Senator would be too big a step for him at this time especially against Bob who is extremely popular in town.

I repeat because the person above doesn't understand politics 101 or the new top two primary and the money it takes.

Anyone who understands politics in this area knows that you don't get elected to State Senator in the Bay Area without ever being elected to an office before. Name me one time in the last couple of decades. What a political moron the above poster is.

Roman may be a good guy, but there is no way he can raise the money necessary to fund a viable campaign, much less two. We have the top two primary in California which we didn't have in the Corbett, Klehs and Dutra era. He might have a chance in the Assembly race if he could raise about 200,000 dollars for the primary and the General, which I doubt.

The Senate race will be won by Bob Weickowski and it won't be close because of Mary's arrest record.

Agree with 12:20 that the top 2 primary does indeed make it much harder for someone who hasn't been elected before to raise the money necessary to run in both the primary and general elections and be successful especially in a Senate district which is double the size of an Assembly district.

Anon 12:12---Well what do you know it's the same antiunion sexist troll who says the same thing over and over. Very boring and not very politically astute. Luckily Roman is much smarter than you. Even if he should pull off a miracle and get in the top two, he would have to run again in the General election against Bob. Do you have a couple of hundred grand to give him? He can accomplish his same goal by running for the Assembly at half the cost, and have a much better chance of winning.

Agree with some of the above posters that the top 2 primary does indeed make it much harder for someone who hasn't been elected before to raise the money necessary to run in both the primary and general elections and be successful especially in a Senate district which is double the size of an Assembly district.

Roman you are being set up for failure by the Dutras and Torrico. They probably have some one else they want to run for Assembly, which would be your best bet, so they talked you into running for Senate, which is mission impossible and they know it. Get some outside advise about your chances and how much money you will have to raise that aren't tied to the Dutras or Torrico. You are in way over your head.

My family and I might support Roman if he's running against a more conservative Dem. for Assembly, but will not support him for Senator. He has already made a huge mistake telling people he had Kleh's support when he didn't.

Clearly Reed has been set up for failure because Torrico and/or the Dutras have someone else in mind for the Assembly seat and they were afraid Reed might spoil their plans. Your friends might not necessarily be your friends in politics Roman.

I agree Ellen Corbett in 2014. She is a much better politician an has done more for Seniors, children,women, the environment, consumers, working families, teachers, nurses, and on and on.. Swalwell has accomplished nothing on the Dublin city council or since he's been in Congress.

Who's Roman Reed? That is what the average voter will say. How will he raise money to raise his name recognition? Will Money Bags Dutra set up a PAC for Reed and spents big bucks to raise his profile? Although spending money on his own campaign didn't work for him. He finished 3rd in a 3 person race. Deja Vu for Reed/Dutra? Not too late to run for Assembly.

Roman run for Assembly if you want to have a chance of getting elected and doing something meaningful in Sacramento.

Anon 7:11 is the sexist anti-union troll who is no friend of yours and is so extremist he can only guarantee you his vote.

He obviously knows nothing about politics or what it takes to win a Senate seat as a unelected first timer against a popular Assemblyman. Now, if he gave you $150,000 dollars and got a few of his friends(if he has any), to do the same you might have a slight chance against Bob.

The posts in favor of Reed all come from the same Hayward anti union, sexist, racist, illiterate, foul mouthed, extremist Tea Party Troll. He never says anything worthwhile because he doesn't understand politics or the new top 2 run off system. He's not smart enough to know how much money it takes to run for Senate or why an unknown can't beat a popular Assemblyman. He doesn't even attempt to persuade, only to antagonize. Most of us just laugh at his ramblings and ranting. Bob Weickowski will win easily and he knows it. That's why he's so mad and acts so childish.

Read the same poll and it also said 75% of Ca. declined-to-state or independent voters would be disinclined to vote for a candidate who had any Tea party support. Anon 9:47 is obviously an extremist and a sexist and anti-union. Most people in our Senate District are progressive and will vote for Weickowski which is why the troll can't control his temper. His use of foul language shows a lack of education. I'm betting he is also single.